R E Q U I R E D

JULY IS HERE. I’m not sure about yours (watermelon slices? tropical beaches? babysitting?), but mine is mostly busy. Very busy. I’m returning stateside and doing as much as I possibly can before moving to New York. That means seeing lots of loved ones in different cities, labeling boxes, crying, etc… But it’s summer, so when ‘go to the cabin‘ falls on the same to-do list as ‘find an apartment’, it’s hard to complain. I’m simplifying, “Oh shit I have to learn the NYC subway,” by getting out of my own head. Meaning I’m reading a lot. If you’re busy or not, these books are basically begging to go to the pool with you. THE LINE-UP: In The Country,Mia Alvar. For those who like stories, here’s a debut book from a new writer to watch. Sick in the Head, Judd Apatow. An introduction to the wild wonderful minds of American comedians, as told through interviews little teenage Apatow started conducting decades ago. It’s amazing. In The Unlikely Event, Judy Blume. Um, hello!!!!! It’s Judy Blume. Read this. Black Cat Bone,John Burnside. Apparently America is lacking this poet in a major way. Which might be evident in the fact that I’m listing a book released in the fall of 2011 on my summer 2015 list. Better late than never? The Sunlit Night, Rebecca Dinnerstein. Any book with protagonists named Sasha and Frances has my vote. This is for those who like love stories and laughing and crying. Turning Into Dwelling, Christopher Gilbert. Anything Graywolf publishes is worth reading, but this posthumous collection of poems is going to be special. Can’t wait. The Star Side of Bird Hill, Naomi Jackson. Coming of age story. Sisterhood. Family. Culture. Barbados. If there’s one novel on here that I think is going to break my heart, it’s this one. The Seven Good Years, Edgar Keret. Okay maybe it’s this one. Keret’s memoir is funny and dark and definitely important. Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO. PEOPLE. YOU HAVE TO. Harper Lee’s second novel hits shelves July 14th and it’s kind of a big deal. God Help the Child– Toni Morrison. I don’t need a reason to list this. The Argonauts,Maggie Nelson. Is there a contemporary writer like Nelson? The answer is no. Her books are necessary for every important conversation happening. Political and gripping and wildly personal, her most recent book, put simply, is about motherhood and marriage. So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed,Jon Ronson. A nonfiction round-up of those who have been publicly ridiculed on a pretty big scale in today’s social media world. Aka everyday world. Humanity and journalism and tweets. It’s all there. Time to get your swimsuits on and your library cards out. Let’s do this. What books am I missing?